


Comfort and Nightmares

by CaptNoDad_957



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hallucinations, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24048937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptNoDad_957/pseuds/CaptNoDad_957
Summary: Beaten, broken, and on the brink of losing all hope, Korra must overcome the traumatic aftermath of her capture and torture by the Red Lotus - traveling back home to recover, she is accompanied by a certain CEO of Future Industries. Artwork by the Tumblr user Sherbies (8-24-2014) https://sherbies.tumblr.com/post/95655393530.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12
Collections: Korrasami





	1. Tea and Sunsets

**Author's Note:**

> Even though it has been a few months since _Korra_ 's series finale, I have found that I cannot quite get over its amazing and touching ending. This story is a result of the continuous rumblings of those final scenes between Korra and Asami in my mind. As I always wondered what would have happened if Asami did accompany Korra to the Southern Water Tribe, and this first fan fic of mine is the product of those musings. I hope that you enjoy it!

In the aftermath of Jinora's ceremony Korra felt hollow, she knew that she should, at the very least, make the effort to appear happy for Tenzin's daughter, but she just… couldn't. If she was being honest, she couldn't bring herself to care about much anymore. Having been wheeled to a gazebo on Air Temple Island by Asami, Korra was currently sitting in her wheelchair watching the sunset over the water. Asami had mentioned that she was going to get some tea for them and had asked Korra what type she would like; Korra had only quietly muttered "Jasmine".

As she watched the sun dip lower and lower beyond the horizon, Korra was consumed by a myriad of thoughts.

 _None of them understand what it's like, not really._ She recalled her dad's comments about how she "looked beautiful" and couldn't help but mentally scoff at his words, she saw how haggard and empty she looked when Asami had put the finishing touches on her appearance earlier that day. _Yeah right, some picture of beauty I am,_ she thought bitterly. _I can barely move my arms, let alone any other part of my body, where's the beauty or grace in that?_ She sighed and looked away from the setting sun to her hands; she flexed them a few times, noticing how much effort it took just to open and close them.

Once again, her mind wandered to Asami, she remembered her concerned gaze as she told Korra those words that were still rattling around inside her mind. _When she said "anything"… did she mean it? Of course, why would she not have meant it, I mean she has always been so sincere and kind, even after our messiness with Mako._ Korra realized with a sudden clarity that her previous thought was incorrect, at least in part; someone _did_ understand her situation and suffering or, at least, made the most genuine effort to – it was Asami.

 _How could I have been so blind to the obvious for these past two weeks?_ Korra thought. Just as this thought was completed, she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. Asami came around on her right side and set the tea she was carrying on a tray on the railing of the gazebo directly in front of Korra. The Avatar allowed her eyes to take in her best friend in the glow of the falling sun; its orange and pink hue gave her friend an almost ethereal glow as she turned around to face her. _Oh… Asami you're… with the sunset..._ Korra thought, for some reason her mind not being able to complete her trail of thoughts.

Korra was brought out of her jumbled thoughts concerning her best friend's beauty by a chime of soft laughter.

"I'm what with the sunset Korra?" Asami asked, with warmth in her voice, as she put a pleasantly hot teacup in Korra's hands.

Korra realized too late that she had thought aloud and glanced down into her tea in embarrassment, a faint blush staining her cheeks. _Asami shouldn't have to listen to you tell her how beautiful she is, it's not as if she doesn't_ know _that already._ Korra sighed and figured that Asami deserved an honest answer so, she said, "You just looked very pretty is all."

"Oh!" Asami exclaimed, as if surprised by Korra's answer. Korra slowly glanced back at her friend and could have sworn she saw a blush on Asami's cheeks, but she chose to dismiss the thought.

Asami had walked back to the railing in front of Korra to retrieve her tea and was sipping it quietly. Korra brought her tea to her lips as well and, as she did so she muttered into her drink an "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Asami said, as she set her half-empty teacup on the tray. Korra drank her tea, not responding to Asami's dismissal of her apology. The jasmine tea was perfect and helped to calm Korra's frayed thoughts. She felt its warmth heat her stomach and the hollowness she had been feeling earlier was abated to a slight degree.

"Hey, Korra…" Asami said, almost timidly.

Korra set her nearly empty cup back into her lap and looked into Asami's gentle eyes. "What is it?" Korra asked, sincerely interested in the CEO's timidity.

Asami grimaced, looked down at her boots and asked, "Why did you cry during Jinora's ceremony?" If that question had been asked by _anyone_ else, Korra would have had one of two responses – silence or caustic sarcasm at the obviousness of the question's answer. However, she just couldn't bring herself to use either on Asami, especially with her revelation about just how special Asami was.

"I cried because I'm broken and beaten and useless. If Tenzin, Jinora, and the other airbenders manage to do even half of what I think they'll be able to do, then what relevance do I have anymore? A whole nation of airbenders will be able to cover more ground than I ever could and probably prevent more problems too. What's my relevance if, in eighteen years, I couldn't bring balance to the nations, and nearly died twice trying to do so and now, a whole _nation_ has vowed to 'bring harmony to the world?'" Korra finished her small rant with an exhausted sigh and looked out again over the water, her thoughts going off to wander again.

Asami approached the wheelchair and knelt down on her knees in front of Korra, taking both her dark hands in her paler ones. Asami gently moved her thumbs back and forth over Korra's knuckles as she began to speak in a quiet, gentle voice.

"Korra, first of all you are _not_ useless, I know you probably don't believe me, but it's true. What you went through would've killed most people, but you didn't die, _you_ survived. You saved a whole nation of people from extinction, that's hardly what I would call 'useless'." Korra's dulled gaze made Asami stand up and take Korra's right cheek in her left hand. Asami continued talking as her fingers soothingly moved over Korra's skin, Asami noticed a faint spark of life in Korra's dead eyes as her brain began to register Asami's words and touch.

"If it weren't for you, there would _be_ no airbenders to 'restore harmony to the world'. You're still relevant to those who care about you and, if the world could somehow speak, I'm sure it would tell you so too. You've done your part, now let us do ours and take care of you and help you get better; the world can wait for a bit, I promise." Korra's eyes, once glazed over with a dull sheen, now seemed a bit livelier as Asami finished talking.

Asami's thumbs were gently caressing Korra's cheekbones as the Avatar was brought out of her melancholic state, if only temporarily. _That feels… nice._ Korra thought, as Asami's thumbs continued their ministrations.

"Thank you." Korra said tiredly, with a ghost of a smile gracing her lips.

"You're welcome." Asami replied sincerely, as she moved to remove the cup from the Avatar's lap. Korra felt disappointed and, for some reason, colder, without Asami's warm touch moving over her skin. Asami set the teacup on the tray next to her own and came back to kneel in front of Korra.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Asami asked kindly, pleasantly surprised when Korra took her left hand in her right – enjoying her friend's touch.

"I'd like to watch the rest of the sunset… if you don't mind?" Korra stated.

"Of course I don't mind." Asami smiled and gripped Korra's hand a bit tighter. "By the way, you really _did_ look beautiful today, your father wasn't wrong."

Korra's only reply was silence, but hearing Asami restating her dad's words, the ones she had scoffed at only a few minutes ago, made the chill and darkness that had settled over her body and mind dissipate, if only for a few moments. The Avatar squeezed the CEO's hand in a gesture of gratitude. She closed her eyes as she felt the final rays of sunshine wash over her face. Korra wouldn't exactly classify her current feelings as happiness or contentment, but as she watched the sun dip into the water, she could think of few other people that she would rather have had bring her tea and words of solace than the warm-hearted girl currently clutching her hand.

As Korra watched the last of the sun's rays disappear from sight she thought that, despite her current situation and the long road to recovery that undoubtedly awaited her, as long as she had Asami's care and support, she would willingly walk down that difficult, exhausting path.

The next few months would be some of the most trying of Korra's life and she knew it, but as Asami moved to stand back up and wheel her back inside the island's dormitories, she also knew that she didn't have to face them alone.


	2. Rumination

_Asami watched with fear and worry as Korra fought Zaheer across the mountainous peaks and cliffs surrounding the Red Lotus' cave._ Please let her be okay, please. _Asami thought as anxiety and concern constricted around her heart. After some time, Jinora and the other airbenders finally created their massive tornado and were able to prevent Zaheer from escaping with Korra. The Avatar was able wrap Zaheer's right ankle in her chain and slam him down to the ground, where he was promptly imprisoned by Lin and Su._

_Tonraq gathered his daughter in his arms and said, "Korra, sweetheart. It's me, Dad. Please hang on." Korra attempted to reach out to her father but fainted instead. Zaheer's cackling broke through the air and Lin turned to him and asked, indignantly, "What are you laughing about?"_

_Zaheer replied, "You're too late! The poison has been in her system too long. The Red Lotus has won!" However, the anarchist's triumph was only temporary as Jinora – who was examining Korra – said "You can save her! The poison is metallic!"_

_Su ran to Korra and lightly touched her shoulder and forehead. She began the process of removing the toxin from Korra, as those around her stared on in worry. Asami felt close to tears and the previous constriction in her heart only tightened its hold._ If she doesn't make it... I... what will I... _Asami's thoughts were erratic as she watched Su pull the metallic poison out of her friend's body. Su tossed the substance aside as Asami felt the tightness around her heart lessen by a considerable degree._ She's alive! She's alive! _Asami thought as she saw Tonraq take Korra in his arms and say, "I'm here for you. I'm never gonna let you go."_

_The Future Industries CEO knew, at that moment, that she would do everything in her power to make sure that she never let go of Korra again either._

* * *

As the sun's rays registered against Asami's eyelids and her brain began the process of waking up, she couldn't help but feel a bit of anxiety at the thought of what the day could potentially hold for her. Korra's eyes were the cause of her anxiousness, more specifically, the dulled gaze Korra had in her eyes during their talk at the gazebo the other day – she had seen a similar look before.

After her mother's death, her father had gone into a similar depressive state and had spent many long nights drinking Fire Nation whiskey in his office. Whenever Asami had the chance to visit him, the only thing she could focus on was the lifelessness in his eyes. When Asami had grown older she had time to ponder that look in her father's eyes more deeply, and she came to a disturbing conclusion. The CEO suspected that, were it not for her presence, her dad may have given up on life altogether. This realization had brought her closer to her father, in an effort to prevent that from happening. After having to watch Korra nearly die due to the Red Louts' poison, Asami resolved to make sure Korra didn't give up on life either. Although, it was difficult sometimes due to Korra's near constant nightmares and lowered self-esteem.

Asami slowly got out of bed and, when so did so, stretched her arms above her head to stretch. She heard her upper back pop as she stretched and shuffled over to her vanity to take an assessment of her appearance. Her hair was somewhat disheveled and she had taken off her makeup before she went to bed the previous night. Just as she was about to sit down to comb her hair and reapply her makeup, she heard a loud crash from the room across the hall. _Korra!_ Asami thought worriedly. Without a second thought to her appearance, she rushed to the Avatar's room.

Asami pulled open Korra's door to find that Korra had rolled out of her bed and had, apparently, cracked the back of her head on her nightstand. Asami rushed to the Avatar's side and knelt down on her knees, while taking the back of Korra's head in her left hand and propping her up as best she could with her right one. Korra groaned and sluggishly opened her eyes, "A-Asami?" the Avatar groggily asked.

"I'm here Korra, you're okay." Asami said, with an undercurrent of worry in her voice. Korra reached out with her right hand and moved her thumb across Asami's lips. The CEO shook slightly at the intimate gesture, but wrote it off as a symptom of the Avatar's dazed state.

"You're not wearing any makeup." Korra stated quietly. In response to Korra's gesture and statement, Asami felt a blush rush to her cheeks.

"No... I'm not." Asami said softly. Korra's thumb continued its journey over Asami's makeup less features as Asami closed her eyes under her friend's ministrations. A sigh escaped Asami's lips as the Avatar's thumb moved over her eyelids. "Korra..." Asami sighed tenderly.

Suddenly, Korra's thumb retreated from Asami's face and, when Asami opened her eyes, she saw that Korra was staring off to an unspecified point on the wall. "I'm sorry..." the Avatar muttered.

Asami took Korra's right cheek in her left hand and made Korra look into her eyes. "For what?" Asami said with a slight hint of affection in her voice.

"I... don't know." Korra softly said. Asami only smiled at Korra as she enveloped the Avatar in a hug, which was promptly returned.

"You never have to be sorry for anything, especially to me." Asami whispered into her friend's ear. Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's neck and pulled the Future Industries director closer.

The Avatar and the CEO stayed in their embrace until Asami asked a question. "Why did you fall out of bed?"

In response, Korra only laughed bitterly. "Isn't it obvious? I mean, you should know that I fell because I was tossing around in my sleep. Before you ask, yes, it was due to a nightmare."

Asami moved back and grasped the Avatar's shoulders in her hands. "Would telling me about it help?"

Korra only nodded mutely in response.

"Okay." Asami said softly. "What was your nightmare about?"

Korra gazed into Asami's eyes and Asami gasped as she saw tears welling in them.

The Avatar brokenly said, "It was about you..."


	3. Loss

"...What?" Asami asked, believing that she must have misheard Korra. Asami blinked and kept her hands on the Avatar's shoulders.

"My nightmare, it was about you or, more specifically, losing you." Korra muttered softly, while staring down at the wooden floorboards. Her voice noticeably cracked on the word "you".

Asami, once again, took Korra's cheeks in her hands and gently lifted her head up so that her tear-filled gaze met Asami's. Asami softly wiped away the tears threatening to fall from Korra's eyes as she said, "Korra, tell me what your dream was about, please."

Korra grasped onto Asami's wrists and shakily said "Alright, I'll try and recall what I can." Asami offered a small, sympathetic smile in response.

And so, Korra recounted to Asami all that she could remember of her nightmare earlier that morning. She told her friend about how she was forced to watch, unable to do anything, as Zaheer and his Red Lotus brothers enchained Asami in the very same cave that the Avatar herself had been in not three weeks prior. She recalled that Asami had been forcefully stripped in a fashion similar to Korra, and how she had looked at Korra, visually begging the young Avatar to save her – but Korra could not. She could do nothing but stare in absolute horror and fear as her best friend was slowly, sadistically injected with the Red Louts' mercury.

"The screams you made... Raava... the screams as they put that _poison_ into you." Korra told her friend as her heart beat frantically at the recollection. Despite Asami's best efforts, tears were freely falling over Korra's cheeks, making her look more miserable than she already was.

The Avatar's voice was like shattered glass as she continued to retell her nightmare. "I kept... I kept trying to get up to help you, but I was stuck in this damn chair. I didn't think it could get any more horrifying, but it did." Korra took in a shaky breath and stared into Asami's eyes, her eyes were bloodshot and watery – the once bright azure was now reduced to a dull, murky blue.

"It was just a dream. I'm here and I'm okay, you don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to." Asami said gently as she fought back some tears of her own at her best friend's broken state.

"No, I want to finish this." Korra said resolutely.

With those words, the Avatar finished her tale. The "more horrifying" part was, indeed, quite disturbing. As Korra sat in her wheelchair, forced to listen as Asami screamed and whimpered in pain at her torture, she heard a familiar deep voice whisper in her left ear. "You've failed Korra, you are useless. What kind of Avatar cannot even save her best friend?" Korra stated in abject terror as Amon moved around her chair to stand in front of her and continued talking. "If you weren't so _weak_ , maybe your friend wouldn't be chained up right now, _begging_ to be saved by you. If you can't even save your friend, then how could anyone expect you to save the world?" Korra looked down at her lap in shame and attempted to block out Amon's words, but he was not going to let her.

He took her chin in his right hand, in a similar manner as the bloodbender had done on Aang Memorial Island just over a year ago. The only difference was that, instead of staring into the lifeless eyes hidden behind that terrifying mask, Korra was looking into the eyes of Asami Sato – clothed in her torture garb.

"It's okay to just admit that the world doesn't need you anymore. Please, just give up and let the next Avatar take over. They'll undoubtedly be a better Avatar than you have ever been." The most unsettling aspect about what "Asami" said was that she sounded completely sincere. Korra moved in her wheelchair in a desperate effort to escape Asami's grasp, she moved as much as she could to her left and right, but it was no use. Asami only laughed as Korra struggled to escape the dream, and just when Korra thought that her mind was going to shatter completely, her friend pushed her backwards and the back of her head cracked onto the cave's floor.

"...And that's when I came to in your arms." Korra finished, barely able to hold her voice together. The tears were now freely falling down her cheeks, as Asami continued to wipe them away.

Asami sorrowfully saw just how much the nightmare had broken Korra, both emotionally and mentally. Whatever contentment that Asami had witnessed in Korra's visage during the end of their talk at the gazebo the other day had been utterly shattered by her dream earlier that night. Asami thought, _It's almost as if she... no she couldn't... could she?_

"Korra," Asami began slowly, "you don't believe what I said during the dream... do you?" In response, Korra nodded weakly.

Asami could barely believe what she saw and, in that moment, resolved to dispel any more of Korra's doubt in abilities as the Avatar or just how amazing of a person she truly was.

Asami slowly leaned forward and gently pressed a comforting kiss to her friend's forehead, she then moved back to look at her. The Avatar flinched at the contact, as if the kiss burned her skin. "Asami, don't please... I don't deserve your... affection." Korra laughed derisively. "By Raava I sound pathetic."

Asami only shook her head at her friend's words and said, "No, you sound like a person who has been beaten and broken down by a situation that she had no control over. You don't have to worry about how good the next Avatar is going to be, just worry about how _you're_ going to recover from this."

Korra blinked away the last of her tears and asked her friend shakily, "Why do you care so much if I decide to... give up? It's not your life." In response to this statement, Asami only smiled sadly.

The engineer said with a tremor in her voice, "No you're right, it's not my life but, you are still my best friend and... I couldn't handle losing you. ...I have no idea what I would've done if Zaheer and his poison had managed to kill you and I don't even want to imagine the possibilities."

In response to this confession, Korra found it in herself to move forward and weakly wrap her arms around Asami's neck. Asami enveloped Korra in a deep embrace and murmured into the Avatar's left ear, "Korra, if you ever feel like giving up and... ending it, please think of how it would impact those who love you. It would ruin us all, your mom and dad especially. ...Also, I would never-"

Just before Asami could finish her sentence, a familiar voice rumbled from the doorway. "Korra!" It was Tonraq who, after exclaiming his daughter's name, had rushed into the room to kneel down next to her. Asami promptly, but softly, let Korra go as her father chose to check and assess his daughter for any injuries.

"Dad, I'm fine." Korra said, with a slight hint of annoyance in her tone. Asami stood up and turned to face the doorway, letting Tonraq and Korra have as much privacy as she could offer. The CEO noticed that Senna, Tenzin, and Pema were standing in the doorway and, at that moment, she decided to go and get some breakfast.

As Asami left the bedroom, the other three residents of the island came into the room to offer what help they could.

Korra wanted to tell Asami just how much her words and touch had meant to her – how much they had, once again, helped to pull her back from the darkness that had threatened to envelop her – but before she could even form the words, her friend was already out the door and walking down the hallway towards the temple's kitchen.


	4. Breakfast

As Korra watched her best friend walk away toward the temple's kitchen – surely to get some food for Korra, as she had done religiously for almost three weeks now – the Avatar could not help but feel annoyed at her father for interrupting Asami's comforting words. She knew her dad and the other adults on the island meant well, but when they intruded on her and Asami's private moment it irritated the young Avatar to no end.

Tonraq was still examining the back of her head, checking it for any injuries, while the others gathered around her with sympathetic looks. Although, curiously, Pema had apparently decided to follow the CEO to the kitchen – leaving Korra to contend with Tenzin and her parents.

"Sweetie, are you sure that you're okay?" Tonraq asked her with worry etched into his voice.

"What do you think?" Korra bit out aggravatingly. She didn't mean to sound angry at her dad, but she just couldn't help her mood after his untimely interruption.

Tonraq only stared at his daughter sadly and, gently, picked her up and placed her back in bed on top of the covers. Korra only sighed and softly said, "Thanks dad." A ghost of a smile on her lips as she looked into her father's kind blue eyes.

"Of course." Her dad smiled at her and briefly grasped her hand before moving back to stand in the room's doorway. Senna came forward, knelt down at Korra's side, and took her right hand in her own. Korra's smile grew a little at her mother's action. Tenzin, thoughtfully stroking his beard, asked Korra what had happened.

And so, the Avatar recounted her nightmare to those gathered in the room. After Asami's considerate words and actions, Korra found that it was easier to recount the dream. However, she purposefully neglected to tell the adults about her desire to "give up" and the kiss that Asami had placed upon her forehead. They'd only over react, Korra thought, and besides, I would prefer if only Asami knew about those feelings.

"While Amon's appearance in your nightmare certainly makes sense, do you have any idea why you were... forced to watch Asami's... torture?" Tenzin asked, trying his best to be sensitive to Korra's harrowing dream.

"Tenzin, if it's alright with you, I would prefer not to think about that right now." Korra said somewhat forcefully.

"Of course, but I encourage you to think about why Asami was so involved in your dream at some point." Tenzin thoughtfully said.

"Okay." Korra replied.

"It really is wonderful that you have someone like Asami in your life, you know that right?" Senna asked, as she squeezed her daughter's hand.

"Yeah mom, I do know how lucky I am." Korra sincerely said with a hint of wistfulness in her voice at not having had the chance to finish speaking with her friend. Once Asami returned with her breakfast, she resolved to finish their conversation. She wanted to hear whatever it was that Asami was about to confess to her, she was sure that it was only good news.

As the CEO in question was walking down the dormitories' hallways, she was mentally berating herself. Stupid... I was about to confess my feelings for Korra. The last thing she needs to worry about right now is the way I feel about her. It'd only add to her burden and she's already bearing enough on her shoulders as it is. I just couldn't stand seeing her so sad and... maybe if she knew how I felt... she may-

"Asami!" a familiar motherly voice sounded behind the woman in question, interrupting her train of thought.

The CEO sighed under her breath, but turned around and etched a weary smile onto her face as Pema caught up with her.

"Oh!" Pema exclaimed.

"What is it?" Asami asked.

"You aren't wearing makeup." Pema stated.

Asami laughed quietly and said, "You're not the first person to tell me that today."

Pema offered a knowing smile in response and asked, "I take it you're going to get Korra her breakfast?"

"You even have to ask?" Asami said lightly.

"No, but I wanted to talk to you, in a less open area." Pema stated as she gestured to continue towards the temple's kitchen.

Asami and Pema resumed their walk down the hallway. They entered the kitchen and began to prepare Korra's meal, working in a comfortable silence for a while. After a period of time, Pema picked up their conversation from the hallway.

"You know, I've seen the way you stare at Korra when you think no one is looking." Pema said, as she set the teapot on the stove to boil.

"What!" Asami exclaimed, nearly dropping the dumplings she had just put on a plate.

"It's okay! I think it's sweet. You clearly love her and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that." Pema reassured warmly.

"You can tell how I feel about her just by a look?" Asami asked, as she set the rice to simmer.

"No, it's more than just a look," Pema admitted, "It's in the little things that you do for her, like making sure she's warm enough before going to bed or bringing her tea during sunsets at the gazebo."

Asami felt her cheeks burn at Pema's words and turned to face the woman.

"It's nothing special." Asami said modestly, although she knew that Pema was right.

Pema only offered up a kind smile and said, "No, it really is. Korra always seems happier when you're around her, her sadness seems to be diminished and that empty look in her eyes goes away for a while."

Asami did not reply to this for a few minutes and mulled Pema's words over in her mind. Conveniently, the tea kettle squealed and the rice finished simmering at the same time before Asami could reply.

Pema prepared the tea in a cup, while Asami scooped the rice into a bowl. The CEO then took a tray and placed the dumplings and rice on it and walked over to Pema. She placed the cup on the tray and walked towards the entrance of the kitchen, where she resumed speaking as Asami began the journey back to Korra's room.

"Have you told Korra how you feel about her?" Pema inquired.

"No, I haven't. It just doesn't seem like the right time, what with her injuries and mental state." Asami said sorrowfully.

"You know, Katara once told me that love can be the greatest healer of all. She told me of the time that Aang had nearly been killed by Fire Lord Zuko's sister and how despondent he had been afterwards. She said that it was only through the love and support of his friends that he managed to overcome his wounds and find the resolve to continue on." Pema informed Asami thoughtfully.

"I don't even know if Korra feels the same way and I hardly think it would be appropriate, given everything she's been through." Asami reiterated.

"Of course, I didn't mean to rush you into anything Asami, it's just something to think about is all." Pema reassured. "Trust me, when the time is right, you'll know when to tell her."

As they arrived back at Korra's room, Asami let Pema's words rumble around inside her head as she walked towards her friend's bed with the tray of food. Maybe with enough time Korra could...

These thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Avatar's voice, "Thanks Asami." As Senna took the tray from Asami's grasp and set it down on her daughter's lap, the CEO fully came out of her reflection.

She looked at best friend and, true to Pema's word, Korra's eyes seemed to sparkle with a hint of life and warmth that had been absent only a while ago. Asami smiled kindly at Korra in response and said, "You're welcome."

The two stared at each other for some time before Tenzin inadvertently broke their gaze by coughing into his arm. Korra uttered a soft laugh at this, and it seemed to fill the room with a sense of solace and warmth that had not been there before the wealthy engineer's arrival. Maybe Pema was right, Asami thought as she looked around the room at Korra's parents and Tenzin, love could really be the medicine that Korra needs most right now.


	5. Confessions

After Korra had finished eating her breakfast, with some help from her mother, Pema took the tray and its contents back to the kitchen. She had seen that Asami seemed distracted by something and resolved to make sure that her friend was okay. However, in order to do so, she would have to get the others out of her room first. Thankfully she had some help from Pema in this regard.

"Mom, dad I would appreciate it you left now. I kinda want to talk to Asami in private, if that's okay with you?" Korra questioned her parents.

Unsurprisingly, her parents seemed to know something their daughter did not and quietly left the room. Although not before they both embraced her in a family hug. At this scene, Asami smiled sadly and was, quite inexplicably, overcome by a wave of nostalgia and a deep-rooted sorrow that she would – very likely – never get to experience that sense of "familial wholeness" ever again. She recalled her mother's warmth and kindness during her youth and, as a result, tears began to prick at her eyes. As she semi-blurrily watched Pema usher her husband out of the room and slide the door shut, she turned to face her best friend.

Korra noticed the outline of tears in Asami's eyes and immediately asked, with concern filling her voice, "What's wrong Asami?"

Asami released a watery, somewhat self-deprecating laugh. "You're asking _me_ what's wrong?"

Korra could only offer up a small smile and say, "Just trying to return the favor."

At this, Asami walked over to her friend's side and sat down in the chair that Senna had previously occupied. She looked down at the floorboards in quiet contemplation with her hands clasped in her lap, and Korra noticed that the CEO had a faraway look in her eyes.

Not content to simply sit there while her friend suffered in silence, Korra took her right hand and placed it over Asami's hands. At the sight of her friend's dark hand atop her paler ones, the Future Industries leader glanced up into the Avatar's eyes.

"You've been there for me through everything these past few weeks and I just wanted to tell you again how much I appreciate it." Korra stated softly, her thumb grazing over Asami's knuckles.

Asami smiled softly at Korra's words and said, "You don't have to thank me, it's nothing."

Korra grasped Asami's right hand tightly and stated, "No, it's not nothing. You have no idea how much you've saved me over the course of these past few days or how lonely I feel when you're not with me."

The sincerity and affection of Korra's words warmed Asami's heart, but, she knew, despite the intimacy of their current situation, Korra only meant them platonically.

"What are friends for?" Asami asked, with the barest hint of regret in her voice.

At that, Korra only smiled and, with a blush lightly staining her cheeks said, "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Asami asked, pleasantly surprised when Korra resumed her thumb's movement over her knuckles.

"You were going to tell me something before my dad interrupted us, what was it?" Korra asked.

At this Asami tore her gaze away from her friend and glanced down at her feet. "I don't know if it's the right time to tell you, given your... condition." Asami said cautiously.

Korra laughed gently at this, which surprised Asami and caused her to look back up into her friend's eyes. "Do you really think that there's anything you could tell me that would make me feel worse than I already do?"

Asami bit her lower lip nervously and sighed, then said lightly "...Just promise you won't be mad."

"Asami, there is _nothing_ you could tell me that would make me angry at you." Korra offered up a genuine smile to back up her words.

The Future Industries CEO took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. "Okay. Before we were interrupted, I was going to tell you that – if you chose to "give up" – I would never get the chance to tell you how I really feel about you."

For what seemed like an eternity an uncomfortable silence seemed to envelop the room. After all but telling Korra "the three words", Asami had quickly glanced back down at her feet. For her part, the young Avatar had expected a confession along these lines from her best friend. Korra did not need to hear an "I love you" from Asami to deduce that her friend's feelings for her were deeper than mere friendship.

Watching Asami looking down at her feet, the Avatar could not help but feel only one emotion. It was an emotion that she had not _truly_ experienced in nearly three weeks – genuine, unconditional happiness.

There was no describing how elated Korra felt at her friend's admission of her feelings. She wasn't blind and, before her capture by the Red Lotus, had found herself growing increasingly attracted to the green-eyed beauty. She recalled the incident in the Earth Kingdom desert after the airship they were held prisoner on crashed. As Asami was talking about how to prepare a sand-sailer after the sand shark had destroyed the airship, Korra had found her gaze wandering to her friend's... posterior. She wasn't all that surprised by her attraction to another woman, as she recalled that, during her teenage years, that a few of the girls in the compound had caught her eye as well. Now that she knew that Asami felt the same way, the Avatar resolved to make sure that she told Asami about her feelings too.

With pure joy in her voice Korra said, "I feel the same way."

At this Asami looked up in shock into Korra's eyes and, barely audibly stated, "What?"

"I feel the same way about you Asami." Korra repeated.

Of all the reactions Korra predicted that Asami may have, finding herself enveloped in a bone-crushing hug while her best friend cried into her neck was not one of them. Happily shocked at her Asami's reaction, Korra did her best to return the embrace. As Asami continued to cry into her neck, Korra moved her hands up and down Asami's back in an effort to provide some semblance of comfort. She was surprised to find that her hands and arms didn't burn as she moved them over her friend's back, apparently – as cliché as it was – the strength of loving someone else in a romantic way _did_ make her feel inexplicably better.

Asami released Korra from her grasp had proceeded to sit by the Avatar's side on the bed. Korra saw the tear stains on Asami's cheeks and wiped them away with her thumbs. Similar to when Korra had caressed Asami's facial features just a few hours ago, her friend again sighed on the ministrations. After having her tear streaks removed, the CEO looked at the Avatar and smiled.

"When did you first realize how you felt?" Asami asked.

Intertwining their fingers, Korra told Asami, "I always had some idea that I liked you more than a friend. But it really wasn't until our talk at the gazebo a few days ago. While you went to get our tea, I was turning some things over in my head and I came to the conclusion that you were the only one who _really_ cared for me and didn't act like they were walking on glass shards whenever they spoke to me. Plus, seeing you in the aura of the sunset only further deepened my appreciation for just how beautiful you really are." Korra concluded with a smile.

At these words, Asami moved forward and placed a kiss to the Avatar's forehead. Moving back to her original position she said, "I'm glad I can be there for you when you need me, but I know you'd do the same for me in a heartbeat."

Korra lightly blushed at this and said, "I wouldn't even give it a second thought. Well, how about you, when did you come to your realization?"

Asami gave a sorrowful smile and answered, "When I thought you were going to die from that poison. Seeing you, lying there in your dad's arms, I knew that I couldn't possibly go on if you died. As weak of me as that must sound, it's absolutely true. I don't know what I would have done if you had succumbed to that mercury, but I know my heart would have been completely shattered. I'm so happy that you survived your torture and I fully meant what I told you. Just say the word and I'll do _anything_ if it means seeing you smile again and helps you to recover."

"I can think of one thing you could do for me." Korra responded.

"What?" Asami asked.

"Please don't say that you're weak for being in love with me. I know that I would be completely broken too, if it had been you on that ground. ...Well, more broken than I already am." Korra finished with a small chuckle in her voice.

"Korra-" Asami started.

The Avatar shook her head "no" and said, "It's fine Asami, I know you don't like me belittling myself, but it's true. I have you here to help me and, if I didn't, I'd be in a much darker place right now. Just promise me one thing, please?"

"Anything." Asami answered instantly.

"Don't wear so much makeup. I can't even begin to describe how much prettier you are without it. Which is saying a lot, given you're well... you." Korra finished lightly.

This statement caused the CEO to giggle softly, as she expected something much more serious to come out of the Avatar's mouth. "Okay, I promise not to wear as much makeup if it'll make you feel better."

"Oh it will, trust me." Korra stated somewhat suggestively and with a wink of her left eye.

Asami, once again, laughed, and the sound was like the sweetest wind chimes to Korra's ears. She knew that she still had a long and arduous road ahead of her, but with Asami's continued support and love she had little doubt that her recovery would be a lot easier. _Asami loves me_ , Korra thought, _she really does love me. I have no idea why someone as kindhearted as her would fall for someone who took away her boyfriend, but I'm glad she did._ As she gazed at her friend's beautiful, makeup-less features, happiness and warmth seemed to spread throughout her body. Whatever the next few months had in store for her, she was more than willing to face them – as long as she had Asami Sato at her side.


	6. Leaving the Temple

After the Avatar and the CEO's intimate discussion, Korra's parents, along with Tenzin and Pema, came back into the bedroom. Among them, only Tenzin seemed somewhat shocked to see that Asami had clambered up into bed with Korra and had her head resting on the young Avatar's shoulder.

"Dad, mom, I have something that I need to tell you." Korra stated.

"It's okay sweetie," Senna said with a smile, "we already know." Tonraq smiled in acknowledgment too.

"Really, it's that obvious, huh?" Korra said, somewhat sheepishly.

"Yeah, it is." Said Pema, "After all, Asami _is_ in bed with you after all."

Korra only glanced at the wall in mild embarrassment. However, Asami placed her arm around the Avatar's shoulders, causing the young woman to look back at the adults gathered before them.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" Senna asked, moving to sit down in the chair that Asami had previously occupied. Tonraq squatted by his wife, taking her hand.

"Well, all things considered, I feel better than I have in quite a while." Korra confessed.

"Hmm, I wonder why?" Tonraq mused wryly.

In response to this, Asami kissed Korra on the cheek, causing her already red face to darker by a fair degree. This prompted a gentle, deep laugh from the Water Tribe chief.

"There was another thing that I wanted to talk to you guys about, besides… this I mean." Korra stated, holding up her and Asami's joined hands. Taking a deep breath, the Avatar said, "I want to go back home, I'll think it'll be good for me – plus Katara will be there to help me recover."

"I think that's a great idea." Senna said, with her husband quickly nodding in agreement.

"Indeed," Tenzin stated, "and I think my mother will be able to help you more than you realize. Will Miss Sato be accompanying you back to the South?"

"Well, unless you don't want some company in the Southern Water Tribe, I'd be more than happy to come with you." Asami said tenderly.

"Of course, nothing would make me happier." Korra smiled in response. "After all, I don't know how long it'll take me to recover from my… condition. I don't think being alone down there would do me much good."

"It's settled then," Tenzin said, "When would you like to leave?"

"By the end of the week." The Avatar stated resolutely.

* * *

The rest of the week went by in a blur as, seemingly, the whole island was abuzz with preparations for Korra's return home.

Naturally, the Future Industries' CEO had the most to pack, but she did decide to leave some items behind.

Asami was just finishing packing her things when Senna rolled Korra into her room.

"Thanks mom." Korra said; noticing that Asami's whole makeup collection still on her dresser.

"Mom, could you leave us alone for a few minutes please? You could go help dad pack the rest of our things."

"Of course, no problem sweetie." Senna said, walking out of the room and sliding the door shut behind her.

"So, no makeup huh?" Korra asked dryly, glancing over at the plethora of makeup bottles and cases.

"No, after all, I did promise my girlfriend that I wouldn't wear any. I believe she said something along the lines of 'You look more beautiful without it.'" Asami said warmly, with a smile.

Korra laughed softly, causing Asami's smile to widen. "While I do think that's true, I'm not gonna deny that the purple eyeliner and red lipstick didn't look stunning on you."

"Well then, it looks like I'll be taking some makeup with me to the South Pole after all." Asami said, squeezing Korra's hand on the way over to her dresser.

"Hey, thank you." Korra said softly.

"For what?" Asami asked, packing the last of her materials into a small bag.

"Everything; I know that I must sound like a broken record at this point, but I'll never be able to fully express my gratitude for all that you've done for me." Korra said, turning her wheelchair to properly face the CEO.

Asami set her makeup bag down on the floor, came over to face the young Avatar, and knelt down in front of her. Taking Korra's right hand and speaking with her usual warmth she said, "It's nothing, really."

"Yes, it is. I mean, you're giving up running your family's company for me. A company that you spent the last eight months rebuilding, that's not 'nothing', it's quite a lot actually." Korra said.

"Well, when you're in love with such a wonderful person, it's quite easy to choose between them and your family's corporation." Asami said lightly.

At this, Korra laughed softly and said, "Huh, I'm still not used to this. The whole 'you being in love with me thing', it still doesn't seem real."

Squeezing the Avatar's hand, Asami said, "Well, it is real and it's been real for quite a while. I love you Korra and I'll do anything it takes to make sure that you get better."

Korra smiled at this and said genuinely with some humor in her voice, "Now why do I believe you Miss Sato?"

Playing along, the green-eyed woman replied, "I don't know Miss Avatar. Maybe it's because I'm the trustworthy sort?"

Before Korra could respond, there was an eager knock on the door. Asami went over to slide the door open and Ikki came in, quickly jumping onto Korra's lap.

The Avatar let out a light grunt at the sudden extra weight and, once she had adjusted properly, said, "Hi Ikki, what're you doing here?"

The girl in question eagerly responded, saying, "My mom and dad told me to come tell you two that they've packed the last of your things on the boat, and now they're just waiting for you and Asami to head down to the docks."

"Okay, I'm just about ready to go." Asami said, walking over to her dresser and slinging her makeup bag over her shoulder.

"Asami, why're you going with Korra back home?" Ikki inquired from the blue-eyed woman's lap.

"Well, I'm going with Korra to make sure that she gets all better." Asami said, picking up her last two suitcases, one in each hand.

Jumping off of Korra's lap, Ikki did her best to help push Korra out of the room and into the hallway, signifying that she wanted to head down to the docks.

As Asami left her room and began walking with Tenzin's daughter and the Avatar down the hallway, the former asked the latter, "Do you think being in love with Asami will help you get better?"

At this, unnoticed by the other two girls, Korra blushed lightly but said, "I'm sure it'll help more than I can know."

"That's nice! Me too, it's always comforting to know that someone you love is there to help you." Ikki replied enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Korra said, slightly taken aback at the wisdom in Ikki's words.

After the exchange, a comfortable silence overcome the three young women as they made their way to the temple's docks.

* * *

Tonraq was loading the last of Asami's things onto the boat, while Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami talked down by the boarding ramp.

Bolin happily said, "Now don't take this the wrong way, but, I can't wait for you two to leave!"

Mako responded, "How else are they supposed to take that, _but_ the wrong way?"

Bolin clarified, "I mean, because I've never had a pen pal before! I'm gonna write you two so many letters and, just to get the ball rolling here." He took two letters out of his coat pocket and handed one to Asami and the other to Korra. "Spoiler alert: Pabu and I already miss you guys."

Korra smiled softly at the gesture and responded, "Thanks. That's sweet."

Asami tucked her letter into her coat pocket, and put her hands on Korra's shoulders in a gesture of comfort, which Korra smiled at in response.

Asami removed her hands from Korra's shoulders as Tenzin approached. The airbending master said, "Now, I don't want you to worry about a thing while you're gone. Your recovery should be your number one concern. Jinora, the airbenders, and I have everything under control."

Although she knew that Tenzin meant well, Korra couldn't help but lose some of her happiness at Tenzin's words. Her once bright mood was dampened by a considerable degree by the man's words, she glanced at the ground as self-doubt began to claw its way back into her mind.

Asami, seemingly, was the only one to notice Korra's drop in mood and resolved to talk to her about it later. _I'm not going to let her slip back into that dark pit_ , Asami thought to herself.

"If you're all done here, we're ready to go." Tonraq announced from the top of the boarding ramp.

"Alright, we're coming up then." Asami replied.

Asami then proceeded to wheel Korra up the ramp and onto the front section of the boat.

As the ship began to move out of the dock, Mako and Bolin said their final goodbyes.

"Get better soon!" the firebender shouted

"Don't forget to write!" the earthbender shouted too.

As the ship pulled out of the Air Temple's docks and into Yue Bay, it passed Aang Memorial Island. While Tenzin's words still rattled inside of Korra's head, she looked at the memorial and jumped slightly; letting out a small sound in the process.

"What is it honey?" Tonraq asked, looking at the memorial himself.

"Nothing, it's nothing dad." Korra replied.

Korra was lying, as she swore that she noticed Amon standing in between the pillars of the island's building. _Amon is dead and there's nothing to be afraid of, get a hold of yourself._ Korra's mind chastised her.

In spite of this fact, the Avatar couldn't help the chill that ran up her spine at the thought of the bloodbender and the sheer terror that he invoked in her.

 _Everything will be okay, nothing is gonna happen, and I'm going to be fine_. Korra repeated to herself as the ship pulled out of the bay and into the larger body of water surrounding Republic City.

 _You say that, but do you really believe it?_ A certain deep voice mockingly replied in the young woman's mind. _You think you're going to get better, but we both know that's not true; even with Asami's help. You're broken Avatar, and no amount of care can possibly fix you. Just wait, you'll come to see just how hopeless your situation really is. There is no saving you…_


End file.
